Container tie



April 1963 K. w. TANTLINGER ETAL 3,086,6?3

CONTAINER TIE Filed Aug. 21, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Gard/Z4 14 007237; e

April 1953 K. w. TANTLINGER ETAL 3,086,673

CONTAINER TIE.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 21, 1961 3,086,673 CGNTAINER TIE Keith W. Tantlinger, Grosse Pointe Shores, and Gerald A.

Wooldridge, St. Clair Shores, Mich, assignors to Fryehauf Trailer Company, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Aug. 21, 1961, Ser. No. 132,618 6 Claims. (Cl. 220-45) This invention relates generally to freight handling apparatus and more particularly to a novel tie for coupling shipping containers in abutting end-to-end, side-by-side or stacked relationship.

It is often desired to couple two or more shipping containers together to form a structurally independent assembly that accepts, for example, the fifth wheel of a conventional tractor at one end and one or more conventional wheel bogies at the other end. Alternatively, two or more containers can be coupled to form a substantially rigid unit for the purpose of shipment on, for example, the deck of a ship, within the cargo hold thereof, or coupled to a rail car. Such a container and the application thereof to the aforementioned modes of transportation is fully disclosed in application Serial No. 112,635, filed May 25, 1961, for Shipping Apparatus, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

The present invention relates to an improved tie for joining two or more shipping containers or the like in abutting, or side-by-side or stacked relationship thereby to form a substantially rigid structural unit. The tie is provided with an internally disposed locking and safety mechanism that insures the integrity of the coupled assembly.

Accordingly, one object of the present invention is an improved container tie.

Another object is a container tie for transferring loads between a pair of shipping containers or the like.

Another object is a container tie that is positively engageable with a pair of abutted shipping containers.

Another object is a container tie that is relatively easily attachable to a pair of abutted shipping containers.

Another object is a locking means for a container tie.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent in the following detailed description, claims and drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a pair of shipping containers joined together by the container tie of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the area Within the circle 2 of FIGURE 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3 with the central locking mechanism thereof in the unlocked condition to facilitate engagement and disengagement of the tie from the containers.

Referring now to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a pair of shipping containers are shown in end-to-end abutting relationship so as to form an elongated structurally independent unit for the acceptance of, for example, a conventional wheel bogie 12 at one end thereof and a fifth wheel 14 of a conventional tractor 16 at the other end thereof. The containers 10 are provided with laterally extending pins 20 at the upper and lower corners thereof, repsectively.

In accordance with the present invention, the containers 10 are joined by a tie 30 that extends about adjacent parallel ones of the pins 20 on the containers 10. The container tie 30 comprises an elongated loop or strap 32 that extends about the pins 20 in snug-fitting relationship. The strap portion 32 of the container tie 30 is a continuous loop made from, for example, steel.

As best seen in FIG. 4, the strap 32 has a pair of longitudinally extending relieved portions or shoulders 36 and 38 on opposite sides of an upper section 40 thereof and a pair of longitudinally relieved portions 42 and 44 on a lower section 46 for the acceptance of complementary ears on each of a pair of locking blocks 60 and 62, ears 48, 5t), 52, and 54 on the block 62 being seen in FIG. 4. The locking blocks 60 and 62 are slidable longitudinally on the container tie 30 into engagement with opposite ones of the pins 20, as will be described. It is to be noted that the pins 20 on the containers 10 are provided with circumferential grooves 70 for the acceptance of complementary generally conical arcuate ribs 72 and 74 on the blocks 60 and 62, respectively.

The locking blocks 60 and 62 are biased into engagement vvith pins 20 of the containers 10 by a toggle mechanism comprising links and 82 that are pivotally connected to the blocks 60 and 62 as by pins 84 and 86, respectively. The toggle links 80 and 82 are joined by a pin 88. As best seen by comparing FIGS. 3 and 5, relative rotation of the toggle links 80 and 82 with respect to one another about the central axis of the pin 88, after release of a locking key 90, effects longitudinal movement of the locking blocks 60 and 62 toward and away from one another thereby to alternately lock the container tie 30 on the pins 20 or condition the container tie 30 for assembly with or removal from the pins 20.

The toggle link 80 has a transverse bore for the acceptance of a pin 101 therein for the pivotal support of the locking key 90. Rotation of the key 90 to the position shown in FIG. 2 conditions the toggle links 80 and 82 for rotation with respect to one another about the pin 88. Rotation of the key 90 ninety degrees to a vertical position, as seen in phantom lines in FIG. 2, precludes relative rotation between the toggle links 80 and 82, thereby locking the locking blocks 60 and 62 against the pins 26 of the containers 10. The key 98 may be provided with suitable friction or detent means to index the key 90 to the release or lock position, if desired.

Since the container tie 30 is required to be engageable with and removable from the pins 20 on the containers '10 despite an accumulation of dirt, ice, and other foreign matter, the link 82 has a transverse bore for the acceptance of, for example, a bar (not shown) thereby to increase the leverage on the link 82 to facilitate movement of the link 82 about the pin 86.

From the aforementioned description, it should be apparent that the tie 30 provides a positive means for locking an abutting pair of containers 10 into a self-supporting assembly.

It is to be understood that the specific construction of the improved container tie herein disclosed and described is presented for the purpose of explanation and illustration and is not intended to indicate limits of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a shipping apparatus comprising a pair of juxtaposed shipping containers having spaced parallel pins thereon, the improvement comprising a container tie having loops at opposite ends thereof engageable with the pins on the containers, respectively, for maintaining the containers in said juxtaposed relationship, the loops on said container tie engaging opposite arcuate faces on the pins, respectively, to preclude movement of said pins away from each other in a direction generally normal to the axis of the pins, and a locking mechanism on said container tie engageable with opposed arcuate faces of the pins, respectively, to preclude movement of said Container tie axially of the pins.

2. In a shipping apparatus comprising a pair of juxtaposed shipping containers having spaced parallel pins thereon, means for coupling the containers in said juxtaposed relationship comprising a continuous loop engage- :abl e about the pins to preclude relative movement thereof away from each other in a direction generally normal to the axis of the pins and a'locking mechanism disposed internally of said loop and engageable with the pins to preclude relative movement of said loop axially with respect to the pins.

3. In a shipping apparatus comprising a pair of juxtaposed shipping containers having spaced parallel pins thereon, means for coupling the containers in said juxtaposed relationship comprising a continuous loop engageable about the pins to preclude relative movement thereof away from each other in a direction generally normal to the axis of the pins and a pair of relatively movable .locking blocks disposed internally of said loop and engageable with the pins, respectively, to preclude relative movement of said loop axially with respect to the pins.

4. In a shipping apparatus comprising a pair of juxtaposed shipping containers having spaced parallel pins thereon, means for coupling the containers in said juxtaposed relationship 'comprising a continuous loop engageable about the pins to preclude relative movement thereof away from each other in a direction generally normal .to the axis of the pins, a pair of relatively movable locking blocks disposed internally of said loop and engageable with the pins, respectively, to preclude relative movement of said loop axially with respect to the pins, and a toggle mechanism connecting said locking blocks to effect said relative movement.

5. In a shipping apparatus comprising a pair of juxtaposed shipping containers having spaced parallel cylindrical pins with annular grooves therein, respectively, means for coupling the containers in said juxtaposed'relationship comprising a continuous loop engageable about the pins to preclude relative movement thereof away from each other in a direction generally normal to the axis of the pins, a pair of relatively movable locking blocks disposed internally of said loop and having ribs, respectively, engageable with the grooves in said pins to pre clude relative movement of said loop axially with respect to the pins, a toggle mechanism connecting said locking blocks to effect said relative movement, and a safety latch engageable with said toggle mechanism to preclude said relative movement.

6. In a shipping apparatus comprising a pair of juxtaposed shipping bontainers having spaced parallel pins thereon, means for coupling the containers in said juxtaposed relationship comprising a continuous loop engageable about the pins to preclude relative movement thereof away from each other in a direction generally normal to the axis of the pins, a pair of relatively movable locking blocks disposed internally of said loop and engageable with the pins, respectively, to preclude relative movement of said loop axially with respect to the pins, and a toggle mechanism connecting said locking blocks to effect said relative movement, said blocks being compressively loaded and said toggle mechanism transferring compressive loads between said blocks.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,291,491 Haigh Jan. 14, 1919 1,522,210 Scroker Jan. 6, 1925 2,841,094 Schumacher July 1, 1958 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A SHIPPING APPARATUS COMPRISING A PAIR OF JUXTAPOSED SHIPPING CONTAINERS HAVING SPACED PARALLEL PINS THEREON, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A CONTAINER TIE HAVING LOOPS AT OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF ENGAGEABLE WITH THE PINS ON THE CONTAINERS, RESPECTIVELY, FOR MAINTAINING THE CONTAINERS IN SAID JUXTAPOSED RELATIONSHIP, THE LOOPS ON SAID CONTAINER TIE ENGAGING OPPOSITE ARCUATE FACES ON THE PINS, RESPECTIVELY, TO PRECLUDE MOVEMENT OF SAID PINS AWAY FROM EACH OTHER IN A DIRECTION GENERALLY NORMAL TO THE AXIS OF THE PINS, AND A LOCKING MECHANISM ON SAID CONTAINER TIE ENGAGEABLE WITH OPPOSED ARCUATE FACES OF THE PINS, RESPECTIVELY, TO PRECLUDE MOVEMENT OF SAID CONTAINER TIE AXIALLY OF THE PINS. 